5  Conclusion

Our exploration of the manuscript dataset revealed valuable insights into the historical and geographic distribution of manuscripts, uncovering patterns in production, preservation, and collection practices. Centralization of collections in key European hubs like London, Paris, and Leyden was evident, with North America emerging as a significant modern hub. Temporal trends showed a peak in manuscript production during the medieval period (12th–15th centuries), followed by a sharp decline due to the advent of the printing press. The analysis highlighted the dominance of materials like parchment and paper, reflecting historical advancements and preservation needs. However, limitations such as incomplete data, lack of geographic granularity, and inherent biases favoring Western collections constrained the comprehensiveness of the study. Future work could focus on expanding global representation, filling data gaps, and integrating external datasets to provide richer context. This project emphasized the importance of data quality, effective visualizations, and addressing historical biases, showcasing the potential of data science to uncover cultural and historical trends while navigating the complexities of archival datasets.